She penned the 2009 bestseller 40 And Still Fabulous, and now journalist Joanna E. Hall is back with a sequel, 40 And Still Fabulous: The Next Chapter. Packed with top tips and advice from leading experts in Australia, the US, and UK on key topics on everything from beauty and health to dating and happiness. Here, bd chats to Hall about the new book and what readers can expect from it.
Can you tell me a bit about 40 And Still Fabulous: The Next Chapter?
It's a follow up to my 2009 bestseller, 40 And Still Fabulous, which has been fully updated with new information, tips and advice. Like the first book, this second edition is aimed at 40-something women to help them make the best of what I discovered is key time of life. It covers all the key areas such as skincare, hair care, style, diet and fitness, health, happiness and more, and contains input from high profile experts from Australia, the UK and USA, who have shared their knowledge and advice. If you want to make some changes to your look or your health, my aim is to give you the tips to make a great start.
What inspired you to write 40 And Still Fabulous: The Next Chapter?
It all started in back in May 2004, when Elle Macpherson celebrated her fortieth birthday. The top question for Elle on the media’s lips was: So what’s it like to hit the big 4-0?” I’d turned forty myself just six months earlier and hadn’t thought anything of it, but the furore surrounding Elle got me thinking. I did some research, and concluded that it is an unusual decade particularly for females; we can have young or grown up kids, we can be mothers, have a career, be divorced, or still single. Then I wrote an article for Better Health magazine on the subject, and the response was not only positive but insightful; while many women are being convinced that that they are ‘over the hill’, the opposite is true. Then in the spring of 2007, I was watching a US TV program and the presenters were discussing Kylie Minogue and her recovery from breast cancer. They'd spotted she was due to turn 40 in May the following year, and said: Can we even still call her the ‘Pop Princess’ after she hits forty?” It seemed like every celebrity was being asked about it when their time came, so that’s when I finally decided it was time to write a book about the subject. My aim was to dispel some of the myths about turning 40, and share tips and advice from experts to help women look and feel their best. As for the updated second edition, well, I finally left my forties behind and turned 50 last November. A good friend said to me that since the first incarnation of 40 And Still Fabulous I had another five years of discoveries and experience to share, so the time was right to wrap up the decade for me with another book.
Why do you think your original book 40 And Still Fabulous was so successful?
I think many women felt the same way I did at the time of writing the book, and they still do. Instead of being "old", we are in the prime of our lives....but some of us might need a little help in reinventing ourselves for the "wedger" decade, or the "old age of youth" (with 50 being the youth of old age!). Although it doesn't happen overnight, from the last day of your thirties to the first day of your forties, at this age things do change; from your skin to your waistline, your body image to your happiness, and your priorities. I also think that there were many high profile and celebrity women turning 40 around the time too, which brought the subject back into the media spotlight, women such as Naomi Watts, Gillian Anderson, Lucy Liu, Rachel Griffiths, Lisa-Marie Presley, Helena Christensen, Céline Dion, and of course, Kylie. Now there is a long list of high profile women who have turned 40 or are about to, such as Kate Moss, who posed for Playboy to commemorate her milestone birthday in January this year, and big names such as Angelina Jolie and Charlize Theron, who will turn 40 in 2015.
What experts are included in 40 And Still Fabulous: The Next Chapter?
There are 24 experts and interviewees in total, including Australia’s hair and make-up gurus Reyna Xydis and Napoleon Perdis, the Australian plastic surgeon Dr. Mark Kohout, the Beverly Hills plastic surgeon Dr. Gary Motykie, Dr. Elizabeth Farrell of the Jean Hailes Foundation, the international sex-pert” Tracey Cox, the best -elling author and life-enrichment mentor Dr. Madisen Harper, and the Australian Businesswoman’s Network community director Suzi Dafnis.
Why did you choose these experts?
For one, the original book was destined for international markets including the USA and UK as well as Australia. My publisher at the time felt that it would be great to include advice from leading experts in these countries as well as our own backyard, to not only broaden the knowledge base in terms of ideas and info, but also to enable women from those countries to have familiar names they could identify with. Also, these people are experts in their fields as well as high profile individuals, some with firsthand experience to share such as Dr. Madisen Harper, who transforms people's lives with her work in personal development.
What are the top beauty tips found in your book?
There are many! But I think some of the key ones include:
- Always wear sunscreen, as you are largely wasting your money on any other skincare products if you don’t.
- Don’t feel pressured into cutting your hair short, or covering greys if you don’t want to; healthy hair with a great cut is more important.
- Great style isn’t about following trends, as much as it’s about incorporating elements of what’s trending into a look that suits you.
- If you are considering any facial rejuvenation, such as fillers or muscle relaxant injections, think about balance, looking well rather than ‘done’, and choose your doctor carefully.
What are the top fitness and diet tips?
Again, there are many.....but my top picks would be:
- Exercise isn't just important for keeping your weight in check; it's also essential for good health overall.
- In addition to eating a healthy diet, it's important to keep portion sizes in check. Remember that women don't need to eat as much as men.
- Losing too much weight in your forties and beyond may result in a skinnier body, but an older looking face.
- Although strength training is important, the exercise key to weight loss is cardiovascular activity, and there are many ways to get the exercise you need.
- Spot fat reduction is a myth. Weight is lost evenly from the entire body, but there are exercises you can do to improve and tone problem areas such as the abdominals.
To find out more about the book and to purchase, visit http://40andstillfabulous.com/.